[EOYT] France vs. Tonga 16/11/13

[RWC2011Fan]

Very harsh red for the French guy. What was he supposed to do when the Tongan walked up, grabbed him by the shirt and punched him?

Anyone got a video? Can't believe I missed out on this to watch Ireland vs. Australia. <_<

 

[Rich Taff]

Anyone got a video? Can't believe I missed out on this to watch Ireland vs. Australia. <_<

 

[Big Ewis]

Very harsh red for the French guy. What was he supposed to do when the Tongan walked up, grabbed him by the shirt and punched him?

Sound logic there my friend:
If I come up to you and punch you, and then you retaliate in the same way, am I not in the more reprehensible side of the problem ? Certainly. I've initiated contact, and created the entire problem. Had I not been there, there would've been no punches, no blood, no red card, no citing.

I would almost agree to something like - in this particular case - red for that idiot and yellow for Maestri.

He cried right after this happened on screen. It shows purity in his heart, as cheesy as this sounds. You don't ever want to harm anyone, or have to reply to violence. And I think he was tremendously disappointed with what had just happened.

Silly, silly, silly. Downright brutal. He should have one leg cut off. OK, I got carried away there. Banned from all MacDonald's in the world...and that clearly includes the happy meals and children section.

 

[Big Ewis]

Some in the Tonga squad just realized at half time in the room there was no way they were going to win the match after seeing how the first half went, and thought maybe they'd get something out of this. A *PUNCH* though...sooooooooooooo bad. So bad.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Somao also, when out of the game, start playing off the ball. These two sides have so much potential but they aren't going to come good if they can't maintain discipline and back themselves to fight back on the scoreboard and play the ball rather than fight off the ball.

 

[Sam Owen]

Big loss for Tonga in a time of need. Taumalolo basically went to blow over and copped a shoulder to the head which was fine from the French lock that wasn't going to be bowled over and I that frustrated Taumalolo who then threw a half hearted short right hand. Yep half hearted because I think that's the first time I've ever seen Taumalolo get into a punch up, it's out of character from a very good prop who is a regular try scorer for the Waikato Chiefs believe it or not.

Anyone who throws the punch instigator or retaliator deserves being carded.

 

[Big Ewis]

Somao also, when out of the game, start playing off the ball. These two sides have so much potential but they aren't going to come good if they can't maintain discipline and back themselves to fight back on the scoreboard and play the ball rather than fight off the ball.

I respect South Africa tremendously for being so hard. You'd think a group of big athletic, weighty Samoans would have their way against any team, but South Africa not only resisted the onslaught last time these two met, but in fact bullied the heck out of Samoa, discouraged them, saturated their running style and blew them out badly.
Not many teams, in fact I don't think any team can do that. Big props to the Boers; respect.
But then again, it was in the 2007 RWC that Tonga came within 5 points of SA. And again in 2011, Samoa this time kept SA to a low score and managed a very thin margin of defeat in the Pools. So even S.A. will succumb in part to the Pacific Islanders' physicality every once in a while..

And yes, for this particular instance on Yoann Maestri, clearly the guy isn't even fired up. He's coldly provoking the fight, in a perfectly reckoned and cunning manner. He's clearly just looking for something out of this match, possibly even wanted the red card. You don't just throw a PUNCH in a Rugby match when there isn't that much electricity in the air on the play, and there wasn't anything there...

Really hope to see a big call from the IRB, a big big call...this is pathetic, brutal, the lowest thing you can do. I'd much rather see a player pull another's shorts down or smt childish like that. A calculated, cold-spirited punch in the face ? Near blasphemous.